Top 5 Greatest Players in Utah Jazz History

Top 5 of the best androars into Utah Jazz history

The eternal debate about who will be number one among the "jazzmen" continues

Although the Utah Jazz do not have a National Basketball Association title, this team has a rich history that has had an extremely serious impact on the development of the league over the years. In fact, the franchise started its existence in New Orleans in its first 5 years, then moved to Salt Lake City. On an individual level, Utah is one of the richest teams, full of class players throughout their years, and two of them undoubtedly stand out above the rest. It's John Stockton and Karl Malone, who is arguably the greater of the other. However, we will not only focus on this controversy, but we will offer you a top of the classiest contestants of the "jazzmen".

Our ranking starts with a person who is part of the team's present - Rudy Gober. The French center, who was selected at number 27 in the 2013 draft, continues to make history with Utah. His debut season in 2014/15 suggests that the Jazz already have a strong defensive competitor. Something that history hardly knows. Gobert has been an All-Star for the past two seasons, was voted the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and has consistently been a part of the All-Star team since 2017. defenders in the league. In 2017, he also became the record holder in umbrellas for the regular season. Averaging 12 points and 11.2 rebounds before the start of the 21/22 campaign, he has been key to the Jazzmen's strong performance of late.

At number four, it's worth picking Adrian Dentley. A far more attacking profile that brought much joy to Utah in the years between 1979 and 1986. Although first a part of the Buffalo Braves, Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers, Dentley's star rose in Salt Lake City. Considered one of the best scorers of the 1980s, he was a participant in six All-Star games and won the top scorer award twice with the Jazzmen, but decided to seek luck and a first ring with the "bad boys" of Detroit later in the soybean career. However, his number four was retired after its conservation. Dentley is also one of the names you can find in the Hall of Fame.

In the top three is a player who only played one year in Utah, but was part of the first teams of the Jazz, while the franchise was still in New Orleans, and undoubtedly finds a place in this ranking. Although his career began with the Atlanta Hawks, he was looking for a new challenge and after four successful seasons, the guard moved to the Jazzmen, with whom he was able to shine. The eternal number seven, who is famous with the nickname "Pistol", or "Pistoleta" in Bulgarian, is one of the best shooters in the entire history of Jazz. Leading scorer in 1977, selected to the NBA team of the season that year as well as in '76, a participant in 5 all-star games, 3 of them as a player for the Jazz, Pistol Pete is definitely one of the favorites of fans, albeit in New Orleans.

And now comes the big argument, which we will settle with ease. Without a doubt, two deserve the top spot - Karl Malone and John Stockton. Two people who played in the same team that never managed to become champions. Two competitors who set records that hardly anyone can surpass. Two that it's hard to say who is greater than the other, so we just can't have a number two. In this article, we will have two to put on top.

Malone was part of Utah from 1985 to 2003, becoming not only one of the team's greatest players of all time, but also one of the NBA's greatest basketball players. The heavy winger is the second leading scorer in the league with 36,928 points and has two regular season MVP awards in 1997 and 1999. Malone made 14 All-Star appearances, was named to the All-Star Association 11 times and finished his career with impressive 25-point and 10.1-assist per game averages. Known by his nickname "Poyualona," he is one of Utah's fan favorites and has brought as many smiles as John Stockton.

The guard is the proof that white can jump too. Stockton started his career with the Jazz a year earlier than Malone and both ended in 2003, but while Malone spent one season with the Lakers, the number 12 player simply stopped playing basketball. Stockton's scoring prowess certainly kept him from taking home the MVP award, but without his career-high 15,806 assists, it's unlikely Malone would have scored as many points. An average of 10.5 assists per game makes him number two in this metric, trailing only Magic Johnson. Stockton is also the all-time leader in steals – 3,265 or 2.17 per game. To all that, we add 10 All-Star appearances, 9 PVP awards and two All-Team appearances.

One can only wonder what Utah history would be like without the latter two? And the answer is more than logical - boring, or simply none.